'SPOT THE FED’: DEF CON hacker event roasted on social media after inviting top US Homeland Security official as keynote speaker

High-profile hacker conference DEF CON has been accused of “selling out” by longtime attendees on social media after organizers announced that US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will be a keynote speaker this year.

The annual convention, which typically sees several thousand people in attendance, is one of the world’s largest hacker events. The 29th edition of the conference is scheduled to be held in Las Vegas early next month.

In recent years, DEF CON has opened its doors to tech experts from US government agencies and the corporate sector. However, the inclusion of Mayorkas – a trained lawyer and career public servant – prompted a flurry of angry reactions from other speakers, conference veterans and other members of the hacker community.

Over the weekend, the organizers put out a tweet to welcome Mayorkas, lauding his “wealth of experience” and “leadership on #cyber” and other “insights.” Several social media users questioned their choice of keynote speaker, wondering what exactly his tech credentials were.

One person commented that perhaps he could be asked about “the amount of data processed” to allow Mayorkas “to deport 2.1 million Mexicans when he was deputy secretary [of the Homeland Security Department]” during the second Obama administration.

Another individual suggested that Mayorkas could be asked for his thoughts on “recycling server cabinets as cages” to house illegal immigrants and whether that would be a “sustainability goal” to support.

Meanwhile, one of the main speakers at the event, Ian Coldwater, said he was “disappointed” with the organizers and wondered whether “we really need to be hearing from the guy in charge of baby cage operations right now, at this particular historical juncture?”

In response to the criticism, Moss tweeted, “DHS is civilian, not military, and with all the new authorities CISA [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency] has, they are going to be increasingly involved. The current administration is not the previous one.”

He later added that “policy comes from the top down, so to understand CISA priorities it would help to know the Secretaries – or the Presidents.”

https://www.rt.com/usa/530257-spot-fed-def-con-hacker-convention/

Lebanese billionaire Mikati appointed PM with backing of Hezbollah & Amal after months of stalemate

Lebanon’s new prime minister designate, Najib Mikati, has secured enough votes to form a government and implement a French-devised plan aimed at saving the country from its financial crisis after months of political deadlock.

On Monday, businessman Mikati, a two-time former PM, received the support of the Lebanese groups Hezbollah and Amal among others, securing enough votes to form a government following parliamentary consultation.

Mikati, who does not hail from a political bloc, was appointed PM by President Michel Aoun after securing a majority of 72 votes from the 118 members of parliament.

“I don’t have a magic wand and can’t perform miracles… but I have studied the situation for a while and have international guarantees,” Mikati said after the vote.

The new PM has vowed to implement a French plan which involves putting together a government of specialists to push through enough reforms to attract foreign aid and ease the country’s economic plight. Mikati will now need to form a cabinet from the country’s squabbling political factions.

The billionaire businessman previously served as PM for a brief period in 2005, and again from 2011 to 2013.

In 2019, corruption charges were filed against him, alleging illicit gains from a subsidised housing loan scheme. Mikati denied any wrongdoing and said the charges were politically motivated. The charges were dropped in May 2021 when the public prosecutor overseeing the charges was removed from office, which the International Commission of Jurists labeled an “attack” on the judiciary.

Monday’s news comes amid several months of terse political deadlock in Lebanon. Last week, Saad Hariri gave up trying to form a government after eight months of negotiating. The country is suffering from its worst economic woes since the 1975-1990 civil war with crippling economic conditions, public distrust in political leaders and a run on the Lebanese pound.

Hariri himself had been tasked with forming a government on October 22, 2020, after predecessor Hassan Diab’s August 10 resignation following the devastating explosion in the Port of Beirut. Many in Lebanon have blamed the blast on government negligence.

https://www.rt.com/news/530284-lebanon-mikati-prime-minister-designate/

Israel Launched Airstrikes Attacking Syria Two Nights In A Row & Allegedly Aided Al-Qaeda

For two consecutive nights, Israeli airstrikes pounded Syria unprovoked and even coincided with attacks from Syria’s al-Qaeda offshoot on one of the days. The only story which received adequate coverage, in between however, was rocket fire from Lebanon, demonstrating a clear media double standard.

This Tuesday night, Israeli fighter jets struck the Aleppo countryside area of al-Safirah. The airstrikes reportedly caused material damage, as Syria’s State media reported that most of the missiles were downed by air defenses. The Syrian government then issued a warning to Israel that it would bear “full responsibility” for its actions, which they noted coincided with a renewed attack from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorists on Syrian government-held areas of Hama.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – or HTS as Western media calls it as a way of making the group sound like a friendly “rebel group” – is an offshoot of al-Qaeda in Syria. It’s top ranking officials were all former al-Qaeda members and had run the group under the name of Jabhat al-Nussra, which was understood to have been al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch. Jabhat al-Nussra formerly split from al-Qaeda, but continued spreading their takfiri brand of religion; burying alive, torturing, killing, and eating the hearts of those who did not bow to their orders. Jabhat al-Nussra (al-Qaeda in Syria) simply changed its name to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and is now granted favorable media coverage in the West, despite clearly being a terrorist organisation.

Syria, on top of having complained to the United Nations countless times over the unprovoked Israeli airstrikes – which have numbered in the hundreds to thousands during the Syrian war – have now accused Israel of backing the terrorist groups offensive this week. This claim is hugely significant, because this would mean that Israel was helping al-Qaeda.

Yet, this wouldn’t be the first time Israel has helped al-Qaeda. In fact, Israel was found to have actively helped al-Qaeda fighters back in 2015. The group Jabhat al-Nussra (al-Qaeda in Syria), had seized the border area, with Israel, along the illegally occupied Golan Heights the summer before. The group operated there until 2018, when the Syrian government defeated them and seized back the territory, during that time not a single attack occurred against Israel by the al-Qaeda group. Instead, in 2015 and allegedly after that as well, Israel was providing medical aid to the fighters of al-Qaeda who were wounded in battle.

Israel’s aiding of al-Qaeda should have reached Western media, but didn’t, despite the fact that Jabhat al-Nussra (now Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) is a designated terrorist group in the United States. Now, it seems that the Syrian government believes Israel is again providing aid to the group which currently illegally occupies most of the Idlib area in Syria.

Israel’s airstrikes did not stop on Tuesday night, however, the very next day airstrikes were also launched, reportedly from over Lebanese airspace, this time striking the Quseyr area of Homs in Syria. Both rounds of unprovoked airstrikes were carried out in violation of international law, did not face any violent response from Syrian government forces, and represent acts of war.

https://www.thelastamericanvagabond.com/israel-launched-airstrikes-attacking-syria-two-nights-in-a-row-allegedly-aided-al-qaeda/

France Warned The US In 2015 About The Wuhan Lab It Helped Build, Former COVID-19 Investigator Claims

In 2015, French intelligence officials warned the U.S. State Department that China was cutting back on agreed collaboration at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a former State Department official told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

France provided the lab’s design, much of its technology, and biosafety training, a State Department cable reported in 2018.

The French government and public and private French scientific organizations gave their support to constructing the lab, the prime minister of France said at the lab’s accreditation ceremony in February 2017.

French security and defense experts did not support sharing the sensitive technology, according to the French newspaper Le Figaro.

The U.S. federal government should have stopped funding research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in 2015 when China reduced its cooperation with the French in building and operating the lab, according to the leader of an investigation into COVID-19’s origins by the State Department under the Trump administration.

In 2015, French intelligence officials warned the U.S. State Department and their own foreign ministry that China was cutting back on agreed collaboration at the lab, former State official David Asher, now a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute think tank, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

By 2017, the French “were kicked out” of the lab and cooperation ceased, leading French officials to warn the State Department that they had grave concerns as to Chinese motivations, according to Asher.

The State Department alleged in January 2021, at the end of the Trump administration, that the Wuhan lab had engaged in classified research on behalf of the Chinese military since at least 2017.

The State Department did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

On Thursday, China said it would not allow the World Health Organization to inspect the lab further. China has blocked the WHO from accessing important records at the lab.

https://dailycaller.com/2021/07/26/france-wuhan-lab-david-asher-state-department/

Nervous system manipulation by electromagnetic fields from monitors

Abstract

Physiological effects have been observed in a human subject in response to stimulation of the skin with weak electromagnetic fields that are pulsed with certain frequencies near ½ Hz or 2.4 Hz, such as to excite a sensory resonance. Many computer monitors and TV tubes, when displaying pulsed images, emit pulsed electromagnetic fields of sufficient amplitudes to cause such excitation. It is therefore possible to manipulate the nervous system of a subject by pulsing images displayed on a nearby computer monitor or TV set. For the latter, the image pulsing may be imbedded in the program material, or it may be overlaid by modulating a video stream, either as an RF signal or as a video signal. The image displayed on a computer monitor may be pulsed effectively by a simple computer program. For certain monitors, pulsed electromagnetic fields capable of exciting sensory resonances in nearby subjects may be generated even as the displayed images are pulsed with subliminal intensity.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US6506148B2/en

Open Your Eyes

https://www.bitchute.com/video/Zfaa6LyXI2tc/

Netherlands Fines TikTok €750,000 Over Privacy Violation.

Data protection authorities in the Netherlands fined popular China-tied social media service TikTok €750,000 on Thursday on the grounds that TikTok violated the privacy of young Dutch children.

The Netherlands’ Data Protection Authority (DPA) specifically cited the fact that the app installation information, including the privacy statement, for TikTok was in English, making is difficult for young Dutch children to assess the information.

“By not offering their privacy statement in Dutch, TikTok failed to provide an adequate explanation of how the app collects, processes and uses personal data,” the DPA said in a statement.

“This is an infringement of privacy legislation, which is based on the principle that people must always be given a clear idea of what is being done with their personal data.”

The DPA began to investigate TikTok, which has 3.5 million Dutch users, last year. TikTok has objected to the €750,000 fine and issued a statement to AFP in which it “said its privacy policy and a shorter and more accessible summary for younger users, have been available in Dutch since July 2020.” TIkTok further said that the DPA has accepted the latter summary as “resolving the matter.”

The National Pulse has previously reported that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, whose former CEO pledged “devotion” to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has covert access to TikTok’s user data.

TikTok has recently faced a series of cases similar to the DPA’s globally.

“The EU in May said TikTok must address concerns of aggressive advertising methods targeting children in a case launched by consumer authorities in several member states. . .the EU claim came a month after Britain accused the video-sharing app of illegally collecting personal data from millions of children in Europe. The case by the EU executive came after a signal in February by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) about TikTok’s alleged breaches of EU consumer rights.”

https://thenationalpulse.com/breaking/netherlands-fines-tiktok-e750000-over-privacy-violation/

Biden’s UN Adviser Met With Group ‘Co-Opting’ Americans To Push CCP’s ‘Preferred Policies’.

Zach Vertin, a Senior Advisor to President Joe Biden’s Ambassador to the United Nations, met with officials from a Chinese Communist Party think-tank linked to the regime’s United Front Department: an effort that seeks to “neutralize opposition” to the Chinese Communist Party’s “preferred policies.”

While serving as an analyst at the International Crisis Group, Vertin met with leaders from the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, a Chinese Communist Party-run think tank.

Tung Chee-Hwa sits on the think tank’s board while also serving as the Vice-Chairman of the “highest-ranking entity overseeing” China’s United Work Front Department, according to the U.S.-China Security and Economic Review Commission. The effort aims “to co-opt and neutralize sources of potential opposition to the policies and authority of its ruling Chinese Communist Party” and “influence foreign governments and other actors to take actions or adopt positions supportive of Beijing’s preferred policies.”

In addition to advising the think tank, Tung has repeatedly attended SIIS events including its 50th anniversary, hosted SIIS leaders at his events, and even funded SIIS research.

Tung is also the Founding Chairman of the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF), which seeks to “effectively disseminate positive messages to the media, key influencers and opinion leaders, and the general public” regarding the Chinese Communist Party, according to Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) filings with the Department of Justice.

The National Pulse has previously revealed CUSEF sponsoring trips to China for mainstream corporate media outlets in exchange for “favorable coverage” – a program that SIIS has repeatedly participated in.

And despite the think tank’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party’s influence operations, Vertin met with an SIIS Deputy Director and a research fellow as revealed by the think tank’s website.

https://thenationalpulse.com/exclusive/biden-un-adviser-visited-ccp-think-tank/

George Soros Is Behind Eric Garcetti’s Project To Pay Illegal Immigrants In Los Angeles

Soros Tentacles Everywhere

Los Angeles Democrat mayor Eric Garcetti is on the Leadership Board of a George Soros-funded global organization called the Mayors Migration Council, which pushes for and promotes Garcetti’s program in which he pays illegal immigrants during Coronavirus. Garcetti is partnering on pro-illegal immigration efforts with Patrick Gaspard, the president of George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, and is also working with Soros’ activism network to develop a program to pay reparations to black people. George Soros is a Hungarian-born leftist billionaire with an agenda to radically remake the United States of America and the world. Eric Garcetti is currently Joe Biden’s nominee to serve as Ambassador to India.

Eric Garcetti is a member of the Mayors Migration Council Leadership Board along with seven other current global mayors and one former mayor. The Mayors Migration Council asks its supporters to “Join Mayors in building an inclusive COVID-19 recovery for all.” So what is the Mayors Migration Council pushing for? According to their own materials, the Council states: “We ask that decision makers at the national and international level join us and take the following actions: Ensure safe, equitable access to services regardless of migration status, including healthcare and economic relief…Empower migrants and refugees to be part of the solution to COVID-19, including through the regularization of immigrant essential workers…Combat misinformation, racism, and xenophobia to strengthen community solidarity in all COVID-19 response and recovery efforts…” The Mayors Migration Council spotlighted Garcetti’s city of Los Angeles in its materials, stating, “City of Los Angeles steps in where national government falls short, provides direct cash assistance to all city residents in need, including undocumented immigrants.”

More

https://nationalfile.com/george-soros-is-behind-eric-garcettis-project-to-pay-illegal-immigrants-in-los-angeles/

Florida Victory: Federal Court Reverses CDC COVID Cruise Regulations

"The CDC has been wrong all along, and they knew it"

The Atlanta-based Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals altered a decision, which now allows cruise ships in Florida to operate immediately.

Circuit Judges Jill Pryor, Charles Wilson and Elizabeth Branch reversed their previous decision that allowed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to enforce coronavirus regulations on Florida cruise ships. The state of Florida had filed an Emergency Application to Vacate the Eleventh Circuit’s Stay on Preliminary Injunction against the CDC over its no-sail order. The previous decision would have forced cruise ships to undergo simulated (mock) voyages, certification that ships met CDC guidelines, and additional testing. This was all subject to change “based on public health considerations and cruise ship operators’ ability to mitigate COVID-19 risk.”

https://nationalfile.com/florida-victory-federal-court-reverses-cdc-covid-cruise-regulations/

‘We have not taken this step lightly’: New Zealand announces decision to allow suspected ISIS-linked woman to return from Turkey

The New Zealand government announced on Monday that it has agreed to repatriate a suspected ISIS member and her kids from Turkey, after the Australian government stood by its decision to strip them of their citizenship.

The woman, named in the media as Suhayra Aden, and her two children were detained by Turkish authorities in February 2021 after they attempted to illegally cross over into the country from Syria. However, as dual Australian-New Zealand citizens, with the mother having grown up in the former country, there has been an ongoing debate over where she will be repatriated.

Alongside 16 other individuals, she had her citizenship stripped by the Australian government for travelling to Syria to join Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS). The Australia Department of Home Affairs has the ability to revoke the citizenship of any individual over the age of 14 who is suspected of involvement in terror activity, as long as it will not leave them stateless.

The move was condemned by New Zealand at the time, which accused Australia of failing to appropriately deal with its own citizens. “New Zealand is not able to remove citizenship from a person and leave them stateless, and as New Zealand citizens this country is the only place where they can currently legally reside,” New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, said.

“Agreeing to a managed return was the right step in this case,” Ardern added, seemingly in a criticism of the Australian government. Due to security concerns, New Zealand government agencies did not confirm the specific arrangements of her return or whether she will be subject to investigation by regional police once she arrives in the country.

https://www.rt.com/news/530265-new-zealand-isis-linked-woman/

UK mom says she killed pedophile neighbor because he preyed on her son

A UK woman who was convicted of fatally stabbing her neighbor after learning he was a pedophile has reportedly revealed that her son was one of the sicko’s victims.

Single mother of five Sarah Sands, 38, killed 77-year-old Michael Pleasted in his east London apartment weeks after discovering he had abused young boys.

In 2015, she was found guilty of manslaughter by reason of loss of control and sentenced to three and a half years behind bars — but the “unduly lenient” prison term was extended to seven and a half years by an appellate court.

During her trial, it emerged that Pleasted had 24 convictions for sex offenses dating back over three decades.

“I did what any mother would do because he did this to my son Bradley, my little boy,” Sands, who spent almost four years in the slammer before being released, told the Sun.

“I never dreamt I’d be capable. I have no pride in it but at least I know he can’t hurt anyone else. I’m not a bad person but I know I did a bad thing. I’ve never denied that and I’ve been punished,” she said.

“I’d never kill again. I don’t see myself as a murderer, but I don’t regret what I did. I was a mom desperate to protect my children,” Sands continued.

She then recalled what led up to the fatal attack.

“I remember picking up a knife and I went to Mick’s. I wanted to persuade him to plead guilty so Bradley would not have to testify,” she said. “Mick opened the door and smirked. He was cocky and abrupt.

“He wouldn’t listen to me. He was cold. A different man to the one who’d been my friendly neighbor,” Sands said.

“I poked him in his front with the knife and he grabbed me. I lost control. I couldn’t let anyone else get hurt — somebody had to protect people,” she said, adding that her warnings about the neighbor to police, social services and housing authorities were in vain.

No one knew of Pleasted’s criminal past because he had changed his name and his crimes predated the sex offenders register, according to the outlet.

“I had no idea who he really was. How could I? He had lied and changed his name so he could attack kids,” Sands told the Sun.

https://nypost.com/2021/07/26/uk-mom-reveals-real-reason-she-killed-pedophile-neighbor/

'So this is our SECOND experience with the Chinese Communist Party biological attack weaponized virus': Republican Clay Higgins, 59, blames China as he and his wife catch COVID for a second time

Congressman Clay Higgins revealed that he, his wife and his son have gotten the coronavirus, which he called a 'biological attack' from the Chinese Communist Party, in a Facebook post Sunday.

The third-term US representative from Louisiana said he and his fourth wife Becca previously had the virus in January 2020 'before the world really knew what it was.

'So, this is our second experience with the CCP biological attack weaponized virus … and this episode is far more challenging. It has required all of my devoted energy.'

It is unclear if Higgins or his family have been vaccinated.

http://www.madnesshub.com/2021/07/so-this-is-our-second-experience-with.html

The Antifa/FBI Coalition

Over two dozen people were killed during the Antifa and BLM protests in 2020. It is routinely reported that "five people died as a result" of the Jan. 6 disturbance. This is a totally accurate statement, however, it is still misleading. Only one of the deceased died as a result of violence. She was actually murdered by a government official. Relating these deaths allows the media to routinely describe Jan. 6 as a "deadly insurrection" as opposed to the "mostly peaceful" protests by Antifa and BLM. Prior to Jan. 6, Trump supporters had held dozens of mass rallies without burning cities or murdering people. This was a major embarrassment for the Deep State. Media coverage of the Jan. 6 event has been largely successful in minimizing that embarrassment. This was a major Deep State coup and the planning and execution of this "insurrection" reveal a disturbing relationship between the government and radical groups. The FBI did not only fail to adequately prevent the disturbance, they appear to have actively facilitated it. The FBI and radical leftists are branches of the Deep State.

FBI agents "taking a knee" in homage to BLM

The FBI has a history of instigating terrorist plots that they thwart with great fanfare. This is not a conspiracy theory.

The New York Times has reported there have been twenty terrorist plots against the U.S. Three of those plots were real; the other 17 were created — and then stopped — by the FBI.

The Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping case is based on evidence provided by two FBI informants and two undercover agents according to the FBI’s affidavit. As many as twelve informants were used in this case. Enrique Tarrio, leader of the Proud Boys, was at one time an FBI informant. Several sizable right-wing organizations were involved in the Jan. 6 disturbance. The FBI had infiltrated every one of them and therefore knew exactly what they had planned.

The DC Metropolitan Police also had at least one undercover employee embedded within the pro-Trump crowd. This is not speculation. It is based on court records.

It is preposterous to contend that the FBI did not have operatives in this disturbance as Christopher Wray contends. Journalist Glenn Greenwald commented, “What would be shocking and strange is not if the FBI had embedded informants and other infiltrators in the groups planning the January 6 Capitol riot. What would be shocking and strange—bizarre and inexplicable—is if the FBI did not have those groups under tight control.”

The FBI and the Capitol Police knew in advance that the demonstration would turn violent.

The New York Times reported:

The Capitol Police had clearer advance warnings about the Jan. 6 attack than were previously known, including the potential for violence in which “Congress itself is the target.” But officers were instructed by their leaders not to use their most aggressive tactics to hold off the mob, according to a scathing new report by the agency’s internal investigator.

Yet the head of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, Steven D’Antuono, told reporters that the agency did not have any intelligence suggesting the Trump rally would not be peaceful.

During Senate testimony, Senator Amy Klobuchar suggested that the FBI had not infiltrated these groups. She asked Christopher Wray, "There must be moments where you think if we would have known, if we could have infiltrated this group or found out what they were doing, and that – you have those moments?" Wray did not correct her. The knowledge that there would be violence was based partially on a document acquired by the Norfolk FBI. It asserted, "Be ready to fight. Congress needs to hear glass breaking, doors being kicked in, and blood from their BLM and Pantifa slave soldiers being spilled. Get violent. Stop calling this a march, or rally, or a protest. Go there ready for war. We get our President or we die. NOTHING else will achieve this goal.”

The FBI does not reveal the source of this document. Was it really the work of a Trump supporter? Still, the violence could have been prevented.

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2021/07/the_antifafbi_coalition.html

US records one shooting every 12 minutes: At least 915 shootings in a single week leaves 430 dead and 1,007 wounded with the nation on track for its deadliest year of gun violence

The US has recorded one shooting every 12 minutes in the last week, with at least 915 incidents leaving 430 dead and 1,007 wounded as gun violence spirals out of control across the nation.

Data from the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive reveals more than 1,000 Americans were wounded or killed in shootings in the seven days between Saturday July 17 and Friday July 23.

The violence of the last week comes as the nation is on track to record its deadliest year of gun violence to date.

Between January and July 24 2021, there has been 25,216 gun-related deaths including homicides, murders, suicides, unintentional shootings, and defensive gun use incidents.

On average, this means 123 people have died every single day in 2021.

If the trend continues, almost 45,000 people will lose their lives to gun violence by the end of the year.

This figure dwarfs the 43,563 shooting deaths recorded in 2020 - which had been the deadliest year for shooting incidents in at least two decades.

Gun violence rocked almost every state this last week, with at least one gun-related incident recorded in 47 states and the District of Columbia, according to ABC News' analysis of GVA data.

Illinois recorded the most shootings, with 109 incidents in the last week.

One shooting on Wednesday saw a 14-year-old boy killed and nine others injured in two shootings on the West Side of Chicago.

Five people were shot in the first shooting in the North Lawndale section Wednesday evening with five more shot in a second shooting three blocks away less than five minutes later.

Gun violence has plagued the Windy City in 2021 with the city's crime data showing a nine percent jump in shootings so far compared to the same time last year and a 60 percent jump from 2019.

During the July 4 weekend alone, 92 people were shot in the city and 16 were killed.

After Illinois, Texas recorded the highest number of shootings last week with 63 incidents including a drive-by shooting in Houston that killed one man and injured five others Thursday evening.

Pennsylvania was next with 59 shootings including one shocking incident where a one-year-old girl was shot inside a convenience store in Philadelphia on July 17.

https://postnewsd2.blogspot.com/2021/07/us-records-one-shooting-every-12.html

Top US and Chinese Diplomats Hold ‘Frank and Open Discussion’

Beijing said the US has turned China into an 'imagined enemy'

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with China’s top diplomats on Monday in the Chinese city of Tianjin and held what the State Department called a “frank and open discussion.”

The meeting came amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing and marked the first high-level meeting since Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Alaska in March. Sherman met with Wang and Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng.

The State Department said Sherman “raised concerns” with her Chinese counterparts over Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet, Taiwan, the South and East China Seas, and more areas. The Biden administration has taken a hawkish approach to China on these issues and slapped Hong Kong-related sanctions on Chinese officials ahead of the talks.

China is strongly opposed to US interference in its affairs and made that clear during Monday’s meeting. Sherman first met with Xie, who said US-China relations reached a “stalemate” and face “serious consequences” due to Washington’s aggressive approach. “The foundational reason is that some people in the US are treating China as an ‘imagined enemy,'” Xie said.

Xie handed Sherman a list of remedial measures China wants the US to take to repair relations. The requests include dropping the extradition request for Huawei financial chief Meng Wanzhou, lifting sanctions on Chinese officials, easing Visa restrictions for Chinese students and Communist Party members.

Later in the day, Wang expressed to Sherman China’s opposition to US interference. According to Chinese media reports, Wang said Taiwan was the “most important” issue when it comes to sovereign affairs. “We advise the US that it must abide by its promises on the Taiwan issue and must be prudent in its conduct,” he said.

The Biden administration has been taking steps to boost ties with Taiwan, angering China, and increasing tensions in the region. The US military has also stepped up its presence near Taiwan and in the South China Sea, with US warships regularly operating in the disputed waters.

While the talks seemed like they were tense, both sides appeared to be open to future high-level meetings. Xie made it clear that if Washington wants more engagement, it needs to adopt less aggressive policies towards Beijing. “The US … cannot expect cooperation on one hand and to hurt China’s interests on the other. This won’t work,” he said.

https://news.antiwar.com/2021/07/26/top-us-and-chinese-diplomats-hold-frank-and-open-discussion/

Top US General Won’t Commit to Ending Afghanistan Airstrikes

Says US will continue to support Afghan partners with airstrikes

CENTCOM Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie is refusing all comment on whether the US will stop carrying out airstrikes in Afghanistan, saying he’s “concentrating on the here and now.”

The war in Afghanistan is meant to be effectively over, with the last US troops leaving by the end of August. McKenzie, however, suggests that the US intention to continue to support its partners means that they’ll continue to “offer” airstrikes to Afghanistan.

McKenzie didn’t want to admit to intentions to carry out more airstrikes, but did concede that the US has been stepping up airstrikes, and believes they’ve had a “good effect” in the fighting.

The admission that the US will keep carrying out strikes after August would be extremely negative diplomatically, and officials likely want to avoid addressing that aspects of the policy of continuing the war by simply refusing comment on what will happen after August. The truth isn’t hard to see, however.

The US doesn’t have basing rights in Afghanistan or anywhere adjacent, though officials have been clear all along that they have every intention to keep up military operations, somehow.

https://news.antiwar.com/2021/07/25/top-us-general-wont-commit-to-ending-afghanistan-airstrikes/

Israel continues to target Al-Aqsa Mosque under new government

Recent statements by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett about the freedom of Jews to pray inside Al-Aqsa Mosque have once again highlighted the debate about Jerusalemites and Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, and their ongoing battle against the occupation state since Ramadan. Bennett's statements also throw the spotlight on the Old City's Damascus Gate as a focus of confrontation. This expanded to most areas of the occupied city, after the Israeli security forces stormed the Mughrabi and Bab Al-Silsila minarets in the Noble Sanctuary of Al-Aqsa and cut the wires of the mosque loudspeakers.

The Palestinian Jerusalemites were angry when Israel tried to impede access through the Damascus Gate using metal barriers; it witnesses regular gatherings of Palestinians en route to Al-Aqsa Mosque, especially in the evenings during Ramadan. The culmination of this was the Sword of Jerusalem Battle, which the Palestinian resistance fought from Gaza to curb the Judaisation of the occupied city and the forced eviction of the residents of Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood.

Even though the Israeli offensive against Gaza halted the settler assault on Al-Aqsa, the end of the attack, the formation of a new Israeli government and the growing assertiveness of the settlers have seen a return to incursions at the mosque and provocative marches within its precincts.

The four Israeli elections between 2019 and this year may not have produced stable governments, but they did strengthen the right-wing and far-right presence in parliament, the Knesset. Extremist MKs have not hesitated to express their ambitions to take over Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.

A number of laws and amendments characterised by religious zeal have been enacted over the past few years which threaten the status of the Palestinian residents of Jerusalem, their homes and their holy places. With eighteen MKs now representing parties which advocate attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque, they are set to build on the attacks that have taken place between 2015 and 2021. The Palestinian responses have been the 2015 Knife Intifada, the 2017 Bab Al-Asbat uprising, Bab Al-Rahma unrest in 2019 and the Damascus Gate events a couple of months ago. What happened at the Damascus Gate was not an isolated event. The Israelis tried to install electronic gates there in 2017 and have exploited other provocative incidents including those noted above.

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20210726-israel-continues-to-target-al-aqsa-mosque-under-new-government/

Coronavirus: 12 cases of ‘Delta plus’ found in Israel

The number of serious coronavirus patients in Israel continued to climb: on Monday morning it stood at 108, the previous Monday it stood at 61.

At least 12 cases of the "Delta plus" variant have been found in Israel, Hebrew media reported on Monday, as the number of patients in serious condition in the country continued to rise and reached 108 cases, 12 more than 24 hours earlier. Last Monday it stood at 61.

According to Channel 12, most of the carriers of the new variant returned to Israel from Georgia.

Experts say it is still too early to assess the effects of the Delta plus. The original Delta variant has proven to be significantly more contagious than previous strains of the virus.

Georgia is one of the countries that on Friday is set to enter the list of nations under travel ban, together with Great Britain, Cyprus, Turkey and Kenya. Currently, the list includes Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, India, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Russia, Spain, South Africa and Uzbekistan.

The Knesset Health Committee is scheduled to meet today to approve the decision of the coronavirus cabinet.

Some 1,398 new coronavirus cases were identified on Sunday, with 2.08% of the 67,676 tests processed returning a positive result. The positive was the highest since March.

Two patients have succumbed to the virus in the last 24-hour period, and 28 have so far died in July. While they still represent a fraction of the deaths registered at the peak of the pandemic, when dozens died in a day, the number represents a dramatic increase compared to June, when only nine people died of COVID.

In order to curb the outbreak, starting from Thursday the access to all gatherings over 100 participants will be reserved to green pass holders – individuals who are vaccinated, recovered or who underwent a corona test within the previous 72 hours. From August 8, the tests will need to be paid by the test takers (children under 12 who are not eligible for the vaccine are exempt from the green pass outline).

Speaking in a press briefing, Health Ministry’s Director-General Prof. Nachman Ash said that by August 8 rapid testing stations will be widely available around the country.

Asked about the plan for the upcoming school year proposed by the Education Ministry, Ash denied that the Health Ministry had agreed to a special quarantine outline for students and teachers allowing them to isolate only for 48 hours after being exposed to a verified case.

“We are not accepting the proposal of an isolation period of 48 hours, a negative test and return to the classroom,” he said. “It is not possible, it would allow infection to spread.”

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/coronavirus-in-israel-1398-new-cases-208-percent-of-tests-return-positive-674917

Biden, Mark Kelly Worked With Intel Firm Hired To Smear Harvey Weinstein Accuser

Disgraced mogul's legal team hired K2 Intelligence to discredit rape allegations

The campaigns for President Joe Biden and Sen. Mark Kelly (D., Ariz.) hired the private intelligence firm that Harvey Weinstein's legal team tapped to investigate and smear a woman who accused the disgraced Hollywood mogul of sexual assault.

Biden's campaign paid $7,728 to K2 Intelligence in November and December, according to Federal Election Commission records. Kelly's campaign paid K2 more than $314,000 for "security" in four installments from December to March of this year, the records show.

The Kelly campaign told the Washington Free Beacon that it hired K2 to provide security for Kelly and his wife, former representative Gabby Giffords (D., Ariz.), but that it no longer employs the firm and "does not go into detail" regarding the couple's "physical security."

It is not clear from the filings what services K2 provided Biden, but the payments could provide fodder to Republicans given the firm's controversial work for Weinstein. Kelly, a former astronaut, faces reelection next year. Organizations like the New York Times have cut ties with lawyers who worked for Weinstein to smear his victims. The paper terminated its relationship with Weinstein lawyer and top Democratic lawyer David Boies in November 2017 following revelations that he hired another company, Black Cube, to spy on Weinstein accusers.

Weinstein's legal team hired K2 to dig up dirt on Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, an Italian model who said that Weinstein sexually assaulted her in 2015. According to the New Yorker, Weinstein's lawyers also tasked K2 with ensuring that Manhattan district attorney Cy Vance (D.) did not press charges against Weinstein. The New Yorker also reported that K2 gave Vance's office information that Gutierrez had worked in the past as a prostitute. Prosecutors confronted Gutierrez with the information, according to the report. The lawyer who oversaw K2's work for Weinstein, Elkan Abramowitz, contributed $6,600 to Biden’s campaign and a pro-Biden political committee, election filings show.

K2 has worked for other controversial clients. According to the Guardian, spies working for the firm allegedly infiltrated an anti-asbestos group on behalf of a corporate client in the asbestos industry. The K2 operatives posed as documentary filmmakers to gain access to the group.

In addition to its intelligence-gathering operations, K2 provides a host of other services to its clientele.

The group, which has rebranded itself K2 Integrity, says that it is the "preeminent risk, compliance, investigations, and monitoring firm" whose mission is to protect "clients' operations, reputations, and economic security." K2 also provides physical protection, travel intelligence, cybersecurity services, and crisis management, according to its website.

Kelly, who defeated Republican Martha McSally in a special election in November, came under scrutiny during the campaign over his business ties to China. The Free Beacon reported last year that Kelly cashed in on his connections in China after attending a forum in 2003 cohosted by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, an affiliate of the Chinese Communist Party.

Kelly cofounded an aerospace company, World View Enterprises, that received funding from Tencent, the Chinese telecom giant that censors Internet access in China. World View received between $1 million and $2 million in PPP loans last year, even though Kelly criticized the program as a handout to "big banks."

Kelly's office, the White House, and K2 did not respond to requests for comment.

https://freebeacon.com/democrats/biden-mark-kelly-worked-with-intel-firm-hired-to-smear-harvey-weinstein-accuser/

Hunter Biden's art dealer said he wanted to be the 'lead guy in China' in 2015

The White House has faced scrutiny over Hunter Biden's art dealings

The art dealer representing the president's son has longstanding ties to China and said in 2015 that he wanted to be the art world's "lead guy in China."

Georges Berges, who is representing Hunter Biden as he ventures into the art world, has talked about his business dealings in China in the past, but his reported ties could pose an ethics issue as he sells Biden's art to anonymous buyers.

A representative for Berges previously told Fox News that the sales of Biden’s art will be kept "confidential." The White House has said they have an ethics plan in place to ensure the president's son doesn’t know who buyers are, though Hunter has raised eyebrows with plans to attend art shows where potential buyers will be in attendance.

Berges said in a 2015 interview with Resident that he wanted to be the art world’s leader in China.

"My plan is to be the lead guy in China; the lead collector and art dealer discovering and nurturing talent from that region," Berges said. "I plan to find and discover and bring to the rest of the world those I consider China’s next generation of modern artists."

He also said that that he believes "China's economy is transforming the global economy and everything is changing because of a rising China," and that he was fascinated by "cultural impact" China is "having on the world."

"Cultural power is real power. That is the reason America continues to be the capital of the world, because of its influence on culture for generations and on an unrivaled global level," Berges also said. "And I think more and more the Chinese are beginning to understand that cultural innovation will power their future cultural influence across continents."

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hunter-biden-art-georges-berges-china

COVID-19 Vaccine Pass Mandate Approved by French Parliament Amid Widespread Protests

The French Parliament on Monday approved a law that would mandate a special COVID-19 vaccine pass and require all healthcare workers to get the vaccine.

The new law, which was only created six days ago, requires all health care sector workers to begin getting vaccinated by Sept. 15 or risk suspension, and it also requires a vaccine passport-like “health pass” to enter planes, trains, restaurants, and some other public venues. All adults will have to comply with the mandate, but everyone aged 12 and older will have to abide by it starting Sept. 30.

The health pass can only be obtained by people who are fully vaccinated, the law stipulates, or they have recently tested negative for COVID-19. Digital or paper certificates will be accepted under the law.

Both measures prompted widespread demonstrations across France. Over the weekend, tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Paris and elsewhere, describing the mandates as needlessly draconian while calling French President Emmanuel Macron a “tyrant.”

France’s Interior Ministry over the weekend reported that about 160,000 people took part in the protests on July 24—sharply up from 114,000 demonstrators during the previous week, Reuters reported.

“We need to wait a little bit before the French people can decide. … I think a part of France is always going to be unwilling, and that blackmail and threats won’t work,” Ayoub Bouglia, an engineer, told The Associated Press about why he was out demonstrating over the weekend.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/covid-19-vaccine-pass-mandate-approved-by-french-parliament-amid-widespread-protests_3918864.html

'Montana Man' Who Confronted Tucker Carlson Worked For CIA-Founded Front Group

Dan Bailey, the "Montana man" who confronted Tucker Carlson in a fly fishing shop in Livingston, formerly worked at an organization that was founded as a front group for the CIA.

Here's how the exchange went down via Heavy.com:

[Dan] Bailey can be heard saying, "I don't care, man. Dude, you are the worst human being known to mankind." Carlson tells him, "I appreciate that," and says, "I'm not gonna debate," as Bailey tells him, "I want you to know that. What you have done to this state, to the United States, to everything else in this world. I don't care that your daughter's here. What you have done to people's families, what you have done to everybody else in this world…"

Carlson then tells Bailey, "Settle down, son," and begins to walk away. Bailey follows Carlson, saying, "Son? Call me son…"

Dude, you're like a terrible person, man. No really dude, you're like really bad, the stuff you've done wow like, I literally can't even, it's like the worst ever and stuff, literally, the whole world… the state… the families like, wow dude WOW!

Twitter user Yoopermomma first noticed Bailey's interesting background.

The Asia Foundation was founded as a CIA front group in 1951, Muckrock reported in 2017.

The Asia Foundation is, on the surface, a private non-profit that contributes to the development of Asia, including donating millions of books. In reality, since it was created by Central Intelligence Agency in 1951, TAF has engaged in a decades long campaign to misrepresent its origins, purpose, and funding.

[…] Originally conceived by CIA as a propaganda machine and a front for covert activities including psychological warfare, TAF has controlled its narrative by becoming the primary source of information on its organization. The narrative presented by TAF effectively erases the first years of its history and misleads the public about its sources of funding over the years. TAF’s deceptions aren’t limited to the public, either. Declassified documents reveal that TAF provided information to the State Department that was incorrect and misleading; this information was subsequently given to Congress. These misrepresentations were then cited in the findings of Congress’ “Asia Foundation Act”, which provides funding for the Foundation, and have become commonly referenced.

[…] TAF portrays itself as having been created “with the approval of the National Security Council” and later being funded by, but remaining functionally independent from, the CIA. In reality, it was a weapon crafted by CIA explicitly for political warfare. Armed with CIA propaganda products, guided by CIA priorities, staffed with CIA contract employees and former CIA staffers, TAF spent the first 16 years of its existence under the direct control of the Agency. For more than a year after that, it relied on funds that the Agency had covertly provided. TAF did not lose touch with the Agency in the following decades, nor did it lose its support.

While TAF has done good work, it also misleads the public about its origins with CIA, and about the current source of its funding. CIA’s administrative file clearly shows, however, that the foundation was staffed and controlled by the Agency. At least two of its Presidents, Greene and Blum, had worked with the Intelligence Community on projects that laid the groundwork for the CFA/TAF, including the project proposal itself and the NSC Directives it relied on. They, like all of TAF’s early Presidents, were CIA contract employees, and it wouldn’t be until 1989 that TAF had a President who wasn’t hand selected by the Agency. While TAF handled its own day to day operations, the chain of command was clear: the foundation had been owned and operated by CIA for more than a decade and a half, despite the denials offered by the foundation, which the leadership knew to false.

TAF these days gets around $100 million a year directly from the US government.

https://www.informationliberation.com/?id=62404

Will Biden DOJ Allow Us to See the Durham Report? I’m Skeptical

Joe Biden’s Department of Justice says that the John Durham report into Obamagate should be submitted in a way allowing for public release, reports the Washington Examiner. This, on its face, sounds like good news.

Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) had requested answers from Attorney General Merrick Garland regarding the status of the investigation, but Deputy Assistant Attorney General Joe Gaeta wrote in response to their inquiry that he could not comment on an ongoing investigation. However, he did note that “the Special Counsel, to the maximum extent possible and consistent with the law and policies and practices of the Department of Justice, shall submit to the Attorney General a final report, and such interim reports as he deems appropriate, in a form that will permit public dissemination.”

“The Department agrees with this statement,” Gaeta added.

Earlier this month, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, said he expects the Durham report will result in “prison sentences for some former senior Obama officials.”

“I just have to have faith ultimately, that there’s that, you know, there was a special counsel created, Durham does have the power. We’re fully expecting him to deliver the report,” Nunes said. “It may not be as broad as we want it to be. But look, there are some major perpetrators. I think, as you and everybody else know, we’ve made over 14 criminal referrals. That doesn’t mean 14 individuals, that means 14 different criminal referrals involving multiple individuals… And this is one of the challenges.”

Durham’s investigation has already resulted in a guilty plea from former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith, who admitted to falsifying documents as the FBI was seeking to renew its FISA warrant against Carter Page.

This affirmation from the Department of Justice is somewhat reassuring, especially given that during his confirmation hearings, now-Attorney General Merrick Garland refused to promise to protect special counsel John Durham’s investigation, nor would he commit to releasing the report to the public.

A reading of the language of the letter from Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gaeta could be construed as an attempt to deny the public release of the report if the DOJ deems it in a form that doesn’t “permit public dissemination.” I guess we’ll have to see if the Department of Justice tries to pull any tricks when the report is complete. Gaeta could have meant that the report will have to go through the necessary redaction process before public release. This is definitely possible, but I’m not entirely convinced that the Biden DOJ wants this report released, and I wouldn’t put it past them to come up with some ridiculous reason to keep it classified.

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/matt-margolis/2021/07/26/will-biden-doj-allow-us-to-see-the-durham-report-im-skeptical-n1464690

CDC Panel Signals Support for Booster Shots, as Reports of Injuries, Deaths After COVID Vaccines Near 500,000

Data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) included a total of almost 500,000 reports of injuries and deaths, across all age groups, following COVID vaccines — an increase of 27,761 compared with the previous week.

The data comes directly from reports submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), the primary government-funded system for reporting adverse vaccine reactions in the U.S.

Every Friday, VAERS makes public all vaccine injury reports received as of a specified date, usually about a week prior to the release date. Reports submitted to VAERS require further investigation before a causal relationship can be confirmed.

Data released today show that between Dec. 14, 2020 and July 16, 2021, a total of 491,218 total adverse events were reported to VAERS, including 11,405 deaths — an increase of 414 over the previous week. There were 48,385 serious injuries reported during the same time period — up 7,767 compared with the previous week.

Excluding “foreign reports” filed in VAERS, there were 425,950 adverse events reported, including 5,467 deaths and 33,748 serious injuries, reported in the U.S.

In the U.S., 336.6 million COVID vaccine doses had been administered as of July 16. This includes: 137 million doses of Moderna’s vaccine, 187 million doses of Pfizer and 13 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID vaccine.

Of the 5,467 U.S. deaths reported as of July 16, 20% occurred within 48 hours of vaccination, 14% occurred within 24 hours and 34% occurred in people who became ill within 48 hours of being vaccinated.

This week’s U.S. data for 12- to 17-year-olds show:

14,494 total adverse events, including 871 rated as serious and 17 deaths. Two of the nine deaths were suicides.

The most recent reported deaths include a 13-year-old boy (VAERS I.D. 1463061) who died after receiving a Moderna vaccine, a 16-year-old boy (VAERS I.D. ​​1466009) who died after receiving his second dose of Pfizer and a 16-year-old boy (VAERS I.D. 1475434) who died with an enlarged heart six days after receiving his first Pfizer dose.

Other reports include three 13-year-old boys (VAERS I.D. 1406840, 1431289 and 1429457) who died two days after receiving a Pfizer vaccine, three 15-year-olds (VAERS I.D. 1187918, 1382906 and 1242573), three 16-year-olds (VAERS I.D. 1420630, 1225942 and 1386841) and three 17-year-olds (VAERS I.D. 1199455, 1388042 and 1420762).

2,127 reports of anaphylaxis among 12- to 17-year-olds with 99% of cases

attributed to Pfizer’s vaccine.

383 reports of myocarditis and pericarditis (heart inflammation) with 379 cases attributed to Pfizer’s vaccine.

68 reports of blood clotting disorders, with all cases attributed to Pfizer.

http://www.wakingtimes.com/cdc-panel-signals-support-for-booster-shots-as-reports-of-injuries-deaths-after-covid-vaccines-near-500000/

Spanish Police Cut Serbian Criminal Gang’s Operations in Spain

With the help of Serbian investigators, Spanish police arrested 43 suspected members of a Serbian organized crime group suspected of having produced marijuana and hashish at plantations in Spain and having distributed their products in Germany.

The criminal network ran plantations in the Spanish regions of Zaragoza and Tarragona, where fellow nationals were exploited for the cultivation of narcotics, Eurojust, which supported the operation, said in a statement Thursday.

Police dismantled 14 indoor plantations, including one “hidden under a Russian orthodox church.”

The network had established a sophisticated distribution chain, using lorries registered in the names of businesses that had been set up in other EU countries, according to the agency.

Eurojust said that law enforcement agencies carried out 19 searches and seized over 17,000 marijuana plants, more than 880 kilograms of marijuana buds, and at least 130 kilograms of produced marijuana and hashish resins during a major action day in June. Some 400 kilograms of marijuana and nearly four kilos of hashish had already been captured in January.

Police have also seized around 250,000 euro (US$294,263) in cash, a luxury car, computer and telecommunication equipment and some weapons.

The criminal group was well-structured and used electricians to condition and manage the plantations, according to Eurojust. It also engaged managers and middlemen between its various echelons, as well as attorneys, to open accounts using fraudulent papers.

“Most of the proceedings were laundered in Serbia, Spain and other European countries, using a string of shell companies,” The Hague-based EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation said.

It also said that the key suspects “will be charged with drug trafficking, migrant smuggling, and money laundering.”

https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/14904-spanish-police-cut-serbian-criminal-gang-s-operations-in-spain

Six Additional Defendants Arrested in Joint State/Federal Investigation into 35-Member Interstate Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy

22 Defendants Have Already Pled Guilty

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/six-additional-defendants-arrested-joint-statefederal-investigation-35-member-interstate

Former Delray Beach Doctor Sentenced To Six Years In Federal Prison For $20 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/former-delray-beach-doctor-sentenced-six-years-federal-prison-20-million-health-care

CDC to Withdraw Emergency Use Authorization for RT PCR Test Because It Cannot Distinguish Between SARS-CoV-2 and the Flu

The CDC quietly announced last week that it was withdrawing its request to the FDA for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel, the assay first introduced in February 2020 for detection of SARS-CoV-2.

Most of the public is probably unaware that similar to the current COVID-19 injections that are not yet approved by the FDA, but only given Emergency Use Authorization, so too the hundreds of diagnostic tests that supposedly detect COVID-19 are also NOT approved by the FDA, but only authorized via an EUA.

What is the reason the CDC is withdrawing its EUA request for the Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel?

In preparation for this change, CDC recommends clinical laboratories and testing sites that have been using the CDC 2019-nCoV RT-PCR assay select and begin their transition to another FDA-authorized COVID-19 test.

CDC encourages laboratories to consider adoption of a multiplexed method that can facilitate detection and differentiation of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses. (Source.)

Caitlin McFall, writing for Fox News, is the only one in the corporate media I could find that even reported this, and the few reports I found in the Alternative media so far have been mostly inaccurate.

McFall reports:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged labs this week to stock clinics with kits that can test for both the coronavirus and the flu as the “influenza season” draws near.

The CDC said Wednesday it will withdrawal its request for the “Emergency Use Authorization” of real-time diagnostic testing kits, which were used starting in February 2020 to detect signs of the coronavirus, by the end of the year.

“CDC is providing this advance notice for clinical laboratories to have adequate time to select and implement one of the many FDA-authorized alternatives,” the agency said.

The U.S. has reported more than 34.4 million cases of the coronavirus since the pandemic began in 2020 and more than 610,000 deaths.

But while cases of COVID-19 soared nationwide, hospitalizations and deaths caused by influenza dropped.

According to data released by the CDC earlier this month, influenza mortality rates were significantly lower throughout 2020 than previous years.

There were 646 deaths relating to the flu among adults reported in 2020, whereas in 2019 the CDC estimated that between 24,000 and 62,000 people died from influenza-related illnesses.

The CDC urged laboratories to “save both time and resources” by introducing kits that can determine and distinguish a positive test for the coronavirus and flu. (Source.)

https://www.globalresearch.ca/cdc-withdraw-emergency-use-authorization-rt-pcr-test-cannot-distinguish-between-sars-cov-2-flu/5751108

PayPal Partnering With Anti-Defamation League to Share Info With Law Enforcement, Determine Who Can Use Their Services

PayPal is partnering with the Anti-Defamation League to determine who can use their services.

The partnership was announced on Monday, with the companies claiming that they are going to “investigate how extremist and hate movements in the United States take advantage of financial platforms to fund their criminal activities,” according to a report from Reuters.

Of course, the ADL has been known to brand anyone who supports Donald Trump or holds views to the right of Karl Marx as an “extremist.”

“The initiative will be led through ADL’s Center on Extremism, and will focus on uncovering and disrupting the financial flows supporting white supremacist and anti-government organizations,” the report continued. “It will also look at networks spreading and profiting from antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, anti-immigrant, anti-Black, anti-Hispanic and anti-Asian bigotry.”

PayPal said that the user data collected through the initiatives will be shared with other firms in the financial industry, law enforcement and politicians.

“We’re hoping to have impact on fighting hatred and extremism, which sadly seems to be surging in society across the globe,” Aaron Karczmer, PayPal’s chief risk officer and executive vice president said in an interview with Reuters. “As the son of a Holocaust survivor I know all too well the real world impact that come from hatred and extremist groups.”

“We have a unique opportunity to further understand how hate spreads and develop key insights that will inform the efforts of the financial industry, law enforcement, and our communities in mitigating extremist threats,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL’s CEO.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/07/paypal-partnering-anti-defamation-league-share-info-law-enforcement-determine-can-use-services/

Big Tech Tyrants will Now Add Content to a Shared Counterterrorism “Key Database” to Crack down on “White Supremacists and Far-Right Militias”

The Big Tech tyrants will now add content to a shared counterterrorism “key database” to crack down on “white supremacists and far-right militias.”

According to Reuters, “A counterterrorism organization formed by some of the biggest U.S. tech companies including Facebook (FB.O) and Microsoft (MSFT.O) is significantly expanding the types of extremist content shared between firms in a key database, aiming to crack down on material from white supremacists and far-right militias.”

White supremacists = Christians, Trump supporters

Right-wing militias = Anyone to the right of Karl Marx who disagrees with Biden regime

We now know that Big Tech is working hand in glove with the government to censor and track conservatives so this database will be used by the Biden regime to arrest political dissidents.

Earlier this year, the Biden Justice Department admitted it was “actively considering” whether to give prosecutors new authorities to bring specific charges against “domestic terrorists.”

“One of the things we’re looking at is would we need new authorities,” Brad Wiegmann, deputy assistant attorney general for the department’s national security division, said in April.

Because the current laws on the books to bring charges for arson, violations of weapons or explosives laws isn’t enough.

The reality is the DOJ is looking to make new laws to persecute people with whom they politically disagree -with the help of Big Tech.

Meanwhile Republican leadership remains silent on Big Tech/Big Government tyranny.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/07/big-tech-tyrants-will-now-add-content-shared-counterterrorism-key-database-crack-white-supremacists-far-right-militias/

Dem Senator Schumer Attacks Trump Supporters: ‘How Could 74 Million People Vote For a Despicable, Racist, Vile Man?’

Democrat Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) attacked Trump supporters over the weekend during a community meeting with New York State assembly member Rebecca Seawright.

“You probably ask yourself the same question I ask myself: How could 74 million people vote for such a despicable human being as Donald Trump,” Schumer said. “He is a vile man. He is dishonest. He is divisive — That’s what he loves to do, just divide people.”

Schumer added, “He’s a racist and he always appeals to the dark side of human nature, which he’s very good at, unfortunately. How did they vote for him?” Schumer said.

Schumer didn’t get the memo. We’re also “deplorable” according to Hillary Clinton.

https://youtu.be/PdMDG8KJkFg

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/07/dem-senator-schumer-attacks-trump-supporters-74-million-people-vote-despicable-racist-vile-man-video/

Despite Pegasus Scandal, NSO Workers 'Sleep Well at Night'

The pay is good and so is the office pampering, but while most former and current NSO employees say they believe the Israeli spyware firm aims to do good, others admit: ‘Today it’s an embarrassment to say you worked at NSO’

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/tech-news/.premium-despite-pegasus-scandal-nso-s-workers-sleep-well-at-night-1.10034678

FU Goyim we don't give a shit

Biden admin signals intent to force FDA approval of COVID vaccines

The White House is seeking to use the reputation of the FDA to force more Americans to take COVID vaccines, and they’ve made it clear that this is entirely about politics, and not science

The Biden Administration has signaled its next move as part of the White House’s full court press to pressure Americans into taking COVID-19 vaccines.

It seems the White House intends to strongarm the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) into fully approving COVID vaccines, while completely dismissing evolving safety and efficacy concerns in the process.

It began during a CNN town hall this week, when President Biden appeared to let it slip (in difficult to comprehend language) that he was pushing for full FDA approval before the end of the year.

“Whether or not we should be in a position where you are why can’t the experts say we know that this virus is in fact it’s going to be or excuse we know why all the drugs approved or not temporarily but permanently approved, that’s underway too” —Joe Bidenpic.twitter.com/ebkp9TJaZT

— Alana Mastrangelo (@ARmastrangelo) July 22, 2021

Fully authorizing the COVID vaccines will allow for the government to hop over legal and regulatory hurdles that come from their current status under emergency use authorization. The Biden Administration seems to believe full approval will act as a mandate for further draconian, top down policies from the federal government, the likes of which may include vaccine passports and compulsory vaccination for much of public and private industry.

In an article earlier this week, state-corporate press organ NBC News attempted to tee up the case for vaccine mandates. Several Obama and Biden “health” officials went on the record for the piece to make it clear they wanted to make life as difficult as possible for “unvaccinated” Americans.

U.S. could see a wave of Covid-19 vaccine mandates as soon as the FDA grants full approval to one or more of the shots, public health experts predict. https://t.co/M17IvmOSOT

— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 25, 2021

“The official regulatory sign off would remove a significant legal and public relations barrier for businesses and government agencies that want to require vaccinations for their employees and customers, former health officials from the Biden and the Obama administrations said,” the NBC article states.

Andy Slavitt, a former Biden Administration official who infamously advertised a mask that he claimed could “deactivate” the coronavirus, told NBC News:

https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/biden-admin-signals-intent-to-force-fda-approval-of-covid-vaccines

California & NYC Require All Public Workers To Get Vaccinated Or Submit To Weekly Tests

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Monday morning that all city workers will either need to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated by the time public schools reopen, or consent to weekly tests, expanding a mandate adopted last week that required all health workers to be vaccinated. It's the latest attempt by the mayor to bolster vaccination rates as the city faces a third wave of coronavirus infections largely driven by the Delta variant.

The edict will apply to roughly 340K city workers, including teachers and officers with the NYPD. The deadline for compliance is Sept. 13, when about 1MM students are set to return to classrooms full time with the new school year. Mayor de Blasio clearly sees a successful resumption of in-person education as critical to his legacy (his second and final term in office will conclude later this year).

Speaking at a news conference Monday morning, Mayor de Blasio reiterated his call to private employers to set similar, or perhaps even more comprehensive, vaccine mandates for their workers in keeping with federal policy guidelines granting employers the "green light" to pressure workers into getting vaccinated.

"September is the pivot point of the recovery," de Blasio said, "and so on Sept. 13, the first day of school, every single city employee will be expected to be either vaccinated or be tested weekly."

Dr. Dave Chokshi, the city's health commissioner, called on all city employees to get vaccinated sooner than the Sept. deadline: "Don’t wait..We need stronger medicine to deal with Delta, and that’s why we are taking these steps today."

Nearly 5MM New Yorkers have received at least one dose of the vaccine, but the pace of new vaccinations has slowed dramatically since late last year. Meanwhile, 2MM adult New Yorkers are still unvaccinated. The number of virus cases has risen to more than 800 on average per day, more than 3x the daily average in late June.

NYC isn't the only major city hoping to stanch a new resurgence of cases with new restrictions. LA County recently reinstated a mandatory indoor mask order, including for those who have been vaccinated.

https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/nyc-requires-all-public-workers-get-vaccinated-or-submit-weekly-tests

https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/nyc-requires-all-public-workers-get-vaccinated-or-submit-weekly-tests

Epstein Having Ties to Israeli Intelligence 'Not Beyond Realm of Possibility', Author Claims

Brown pointed out that Robert Maxwell, the father of Jeffrey Epstein’s close associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, had connections to the Israeli intelligence community, and that Epstein had a “close relationship” with him.

The late Jeffrey Epstein, financier and convicted sex offender, is suspected of having a connection to the Israeli intelligence community, The Times of Israel reports, citing Julie K. Brown, an investigative reporter and the author of the recently released book "Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story".

According to the newspaper, Brown argued that the details giving credence to the link "are not far-fetched and need to be explored in further detail and examined", adding that an Epstein connection to Mossad is "not beyond the realm of possibility."

"Robert Maxwell certainly had those kinds of connections, and Epstein had a close relationship with Robert Maxwell," she noted.

Previously, another investigative journalist, Vicki Ward, also suggested that Epstein may have been an intelligence asset, citing four sources that told her of Epstein’s alleged "dealings in the arms world in the 1980s had led him to work for multiple governments, including the Israelis."

Claims related by Ward also involve the late Robert Maxwell, a British media mogul and father of Epstein’s close personal friend, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is alleged to have introduced Epstein to Israeli leaders.

After being arrested a second time in 2019 on charges of organising the sex trafficking of underage girls, Epstein was found dead in his New York federal jail cell in 2019, awaiting trial. His death was officially ruled a suicide.

https://sputniknews.com/world/202107261083466024-epstein-having-ties-to-israeli-intelligence-not-beyond-realm-of-possibility-author-claims/

Ex-HS Teacher Sentenced To 7 Years In Prison For Sexually Assaulting 15-Year-Old Student: DA

LOS ANGELES – A former Palmdale high school teacher was sentenced Thursday to seven years and four months in state prison for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student.

Anthony Mahari Faaborg, 54, of Palmdale pleaded no contest on June 30 to one felony count each of ‘lewd/lascivious act with a minor 14 or 15’ and ‘oral copulation of a minor under 16’ as well as three counts of ‘unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor under 16.’

Faaborg, who was a teacher at Pete Knight High School, had inappropriate sexual conduct with the student who went to the school but was not in his class, between October and December 2019.

Faaborg also was ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

https://breaking911.com/ex-hs-teacher-sentenced-to-7-years-in-prison-for-sexually-assaulting-15-year-old-student-da/

Dept of Veterans Affairs mandates all medical employees get COVID-19 vaccine

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough announced he will make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for Title 38 VA health care personnel — including physicians, dentists, podiatrists, optometrists, registered nurses, physician assistants, expanded-function dental auxiliaries and chiropractors — who work in Veterans Health Administration facilities, visit VHA facilities or provide direct care to those VA serves.

Each employee will have eight weeks to be fully vaccinated.

“We’re mandating vaccines for Title 38 employees because it’s the best way to keep Veterans safe, especially as the Delta variant spreads across the country,” McDonough said. “Whenever a Veteran or VA employee sets foot in a VA facility, they deserve to know that we have done everything in our power to protect them from COVID-19. With this mandate, we can once again make — and keep — that fundamental promise.”

All VA employees are eligible to be vaccinated at no personal expense. Employees will also receive four hours of paid administrative leave after demonstrating they have been vaccinated.

https://breaking911.com/breaking-dept-of-veterans-affairs-mandates-all-medical-employees-to-get-covid-19-vaccine/

Biden’s Crime Chief Had Screaming Red Flags on His Financial Disclosure Form; Senators Ignored Them

What happened on July 20 with the 56-44 vote in the Senate to confirm Kenneth Polite (pronounced Po-leet) to head the most powerful criminal law enforcement office in the United States, the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice, is a cautionary tale that should concern every American. Despite Polite owing more than $1.5 million in debts according to his financial disclosure form and public mortgage records; paying over 18 percent interest on an outstanding balance on a credit card; 19.99 percent interest on a personal loan; and now accepting a job where his income will be slashed by about 77 percent – not one Senator on the Senate Judiciary Committee asked a single question about this man’s bizarre financial picture during his confirmation hearing on May 26 or in written questions that followed.

Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, Chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. Durbin took to the Senate floor on July 20, the day of the full Senate vote on Polite, to give a glowing endorsement of Polite.

Polite hails from the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bochius, which has plenty of red flags itself. Polite was a partner there earning approximately $877,500 in 2020. His job at the Justice Department will pay less than $200,000 annually. Morgan, Lewis has, for decades, provided legal representation to the Wall Street mega banks. Polite’s financial disclosure form reveals that JPMorgan Chase was one of his clients over the past year.

JPMorgan Chase has racked up five felony counts brought by the Justice Department in the past seven years, including two felony counts brought just last fall. The bank admitted to all five counts. In September of 2019, the Justice Department charged that traders at the bank were running a racketeering enterprise out of its precious metals trading desk. That case, brought under the RICO statute, which is typically reserved for organized crime, is still ongoing at the Justice Department.

Polite also revealed on his financial disclosure form that Morgan Stanley was his client over the past year. Morgan Stanley, along with other Wall Street banks represented by Morgan Lewis, are under a new Justice Department investigation for loaning out their balance sheets to hedge funds to conduct trading in highly-leveraged and highly-concentrated stock positions, which led to the collapse of the Archegos family office hedge fund in March of this year; a 50 percent plunge in the price of some of the stocks involved in the scheme; and more than $10 billion in losses for the banks involved in providing the margin loans, which were dressed up as derivative trades.

Under Polite’s Ethics Agreement, “he will be required to recuse from particular matters involving specific parties involving his former employer or former clients for a period of two years after he is appointed….” Why should the American people accept a Biden nominee that can’t hit the ground running against one of the most criminally-inclined industries in America. Why should the U.S. Senate confirm such a man?

Instead of doing the kind of due diligence on this man that a position of this magnitude deserves at his confirmation hearing, Polite was crammed in on a panel with four other nominees up for confirmation that were all to be questioned by Senators at the same time. Each Senator had only five minutes to question all five nominees and those five minutes included the time that the nominees had to answer the questions.

https://wallstreetonparade.com/2021/07/bidens-crime-chief-had-screaming-red-flags-on-his-financial-disclosure-form-senators-ignored-them/